Flexjet Reports a Lifetime High in Thanksgiving Demand

Business aviation is gearing up for what may be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period in the industry’s history, with operators like Flexjet and Magellan reporting booking surges that place numbers far above even the pandemic-era boom.

Magellan’s boost was visible for days before the holiday hit. The company reported a 66 percent jump in flights on the 24th alone, with more and more travelers extending their trips in hopes of dodging the commercial airspace congestion that predictably peaks between Wednesday and Sunday. At Magellan’s new private terminal in Bedford, Massachusetts, traffic was projected to jump more than 50 percent over last year.

Flexjet is also breaking records. The operator says aircraft-owner flying is 20 percent higher year over year, with the first two weeks of November coming back with a 30 percent jump compared to 2024. The company attributes part of the spike to lingering effects of the recent government shutdown, especially with the possibility of FAA staffing shortages and commercial flight cancellations. Flexjet also points to travelers generally seeking a more predictable holiday experience in recent years… which becomes increasingly challenging at the US airspace’s current capacity.

This trend has extended much further into the year than typically expected. Flexjet reports 42 percent more bookings for the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving than last year, and 40 percent more for the final two weeks of December.

With three years (and counting) of drastic spikes in demand, Flexjet is preparing for the long term. In February, it inked a $7 billion order with Embraer for 182 aircraft and the option for 30 more. The incoming collection of Praetor 600, Praetor 500, and Phenom 300E models will almost double Flexjet’s fleet over the next five years.

FMI: www.flexjet.com